Brent Maze and Clif Knight

Hartselle Enquirer

Fifth graders take 5A-7A title

Hartselle’s fifth grade basketball team won the 5A-7A Tennessee Valley Basketball Association regional championship.

The team also went 1-1 in the fifth grade Tennessee Valley Basketball Association championship March 14-15 at Mars Hill High School.

The team finished with a record of 19-7.

Head coach Justin Billings said his team worked hard to compete and overcome a number of obstacles.

“We had two kids that had never played organized basketball,” Billings said. “Our starting point guard from last year missed half the beginning of the season with a broken collar bone, and one fourth grader moved up to play with us. In six years of coaching city league and AAU, this is the hardest working group I have ever coached. Every single day they had the will to get better.”

Third graders make runner-up at regionals

A Hartselle third grade basketball team captured runner-up honors in the 4A-7A class at Mars Hill recently.

The team compiled an 18-10 regular season record and won four of the games it played in the regional tournament.

Regular season opponents included Cullman, Mars Hill, Deshler, Moulton, Lauderdale County and Russellville.

“This is a good group of kids that enjoy playing basketball,” said team manager Chris Seal. “They are developing skills and experience that will be helpful to them when they get into school ball. “We want to keep the team together until they reach the age where they will be eligible to play at the junior high level.”

Team coaches are Michael Chumley and Marques Tapscott.

Team members were treated  to dinner at Oh! Bryan’s Restaurant after the tournament. The following awards were presented:  Dawson Seal, Team Captain; Kohl Key, Offensive MVP; Eli Pinson, Offensive MVP; Jace Preuitt, Hustle Award and Nick Chumley, Most Consistent Player.

Members of the third grade basketball team, from left, are Drake Borden, Benjamin Carnes, Eli Pinion, Nick Chumley, Dawson Seal, Jace Preuitt, Kohl Key and Markus Tapscott. Seal won the Team Captain award, Key won Offensive MVP, Pinion won Defensive MVP, Preuitt won the Hustle award, Chumley won the Most Consistent award, Tapscott and Borden won the Most Improved awards. | Special to the Enquirer

Members of the Hartselle fifth grade basketball team are Tre’von Davis, Jayce DuBose, Kiah Key, Cole Waddell, Luke Ward, Kaleb Moore, Brodie Morrow and Tra Stover. Coaches are Justin Billings, Johnny Jones and James Shapely. They won the 5A-7A Tennessee Valley Basketball Association regional championship March 14-15 at Mars Hill High School with a record of 19-7. | Special to the Enquirer